Chapter 18: Do You Wish to Become a Deep Diver?

Upon hearing that name, Zhou Mo’s heart involuntarily skipped two beats, and even the thoughts in his mind seemed to tremble, almost lifting the lid off his skull.

Feigning indifference, Zhou Mo asked, “I think I saw online that Dr. Liu Tianyou has already been killed…”

The smile on Xia An’s face instantly turned bitter. “Yes, and the one who killed Dr. Liu Tianyou was the Brain-Eating Demon. As the most outstanding young expert in the fields of brain science and subconsciousness, he died here in Heyuan City. That’s why the authorities are sparing no expense to have us investigate the Brain-Eating Demon.”

“Let’s not dwell on this sad topic. Continue about the Deep Divers.”

“Deep Divers don’t just acquire experience from the collective subconscious; they can even undergo physical changes and develop certain skills. The deeper you dive, the stronger the abilities you gain. Though this power is limited to personal physical capabilities, that alone is enough to cause quite a few troubles.”

Though Zhou Mo was eager to learn more about Liu Tianyou, Xia An was clearly unwilling to elaborate, and since Liu was a victim, Zhou Mo felt it inappropriate to press further.

Besides, he had already signed the contract and would have plenty of time to understand things gradually.

Suppressing his inner urge, Zhou Mo followed the train of thought and asked, “Are they really that strong? Not every descendant of theirs can be so formidable, right?”

Xia An rolled her eyes. “If you had read more history, you wouldn’t be so ignorant. Given the survival environment and social background of ancient times, how many ordinary commoners could have their bloodline survive to the present day?”

“Though it’s not absolute, at least ninety-nine percent of modern people’s ancestors were wealthy or influential. If you dive deep enough into the collective subconscious, you can definitely unearth the experiences of a great figure. Learning even a little of that is enough to live in comfort.”

Hmm… thinking carefully, that’s actually true.

Zhou Mo stroked his chin. “Isn’t this just a contest of ancestors? Early on, you compete with your father and relatives; later, it depends on how impressive your ancestors were.”

Xia An clicked her tongue. “Harsh words, but not wrong. That’s exactly how it is.”

Zhou Mo blinked and looked at Xia An expectantly. “So, can I become a Deep Diver?”

Xia An chuckled, “Do you think I’m beautiful?”

Zhou Mo sighed knowingly, “Not as beautiful as I’d hoped.”

Xia An was struck dumb by that response and rolled her eyes dramatically. “Alright, I’ve told you everything you want to know. For the next couple of days, just stay at home and don’t go anywhere. You can eat at nearby restaurants and show yourself occasionally. The Brain-Eating Demon’s associates need to know you exist. The city guard will cover your expenses.”

“Now take this money and scram!”

Finally done with Zhou Mo, Xia An revealed her true colors. After signing the contract, Zhou Mo became a contracted employee of the city guard and had to follow Xia An’s orders.

---

Though Zhou Mo wanted to ask about the subconscious creatures next, seeing Xia An pick up her knitting made it clear she had lost patience for the conversation.

He could only reply weakly, “Understood.”

After Zhou Mo left the city guard, he took a taxi home. Standing by the window, Xia An asked, “What do you make of him?”

Sun Yue emerged from a small cubicle, sucking on a lollipop with a strange expression. “It’s eerie. He really doesn’t know what a Deep Diver is!”

“Except for his odd expression when you mentioned Liu Tianyou, I didn’t see any signs he was faking it.”

Xia An kept knitting, her brow furrowed. “Could it be that he really has amnesia? If so, what did he lose that he cares about so much? And from the looks of it, he seems to know Liu Tianyou…”

“Looks like I’ll have to check what connection he has to Liu Tianyou. He really is a treasure trove—there’s more and more to uncover about him.”

...

Meanwhile, Zhou Mo returned home with mixed feelings. On one hand, he was shocked that Deep Divers were created by Liu Tianyou. On the other, he doubted whether, even if given the chance, he could truly become one.

His situation was complicated.

He was himself, yet occupying the body of another Zhou Mo, and his mind was Liu Tianyou’s.

If he truly entered the collective subconscious, whose consciousness would it be considered?

Moreover, having lost his memories, he was unfamiliar with any aspect of the collective subconscious.

No sooner had Zhou Mo closed the door behind him than the brain atop his head popped out, as usual resembling a large cockroach. It crawled from his shoulder to his pocket area, its eyeballs wrapping around his phone as it slipped onto the bed.

“Hey, what do you plan to do?”

Zhou Mo glanced over and found the brain was already ordering takeout with astonishing speed, browsing through every item in just seconds.

And it was going straight for sweets!

Seeing this, Zhou Mo snatched the phone away and hurriedly closed the flipped-back brain cover. “My ancestors, even though we have money now, you can’t just do this! You ordered so much—I can’t eat it all! Do you think the fridge still has room?”

The brain’s eyeballs hardened, staring at the confiscated phone.

Facing those gleaming eyes, Zhou Mo twitched his mouth and took a step back. “It’s not that I don’t want to let you eat, but we’re under the city guard’s watch now. There might be several telescopes trained on the house from outside.”

---

“And besides, I promised Xia An that I’d eat out often to show myself.”

The brain angrily hammered on the bed frame but soon tilted its eyeballs as if remembering something and gestured to Zhou Mo with a knowing look.

Then it jumped to the floor, quickly climbing onto the desk, opened the computer, and began typing furiously.

Zhou Mo leaned over to look and immediately widened his eyes three sizes.

[Do you want to become a Deep Diver?]

Zhou Mo stared in shock at the brain. “Are you saying you can make me a Deep Diver?”

As a transmigrator, who could resist the temptation of gaining special abilities?

The brain nodded, its eyeballs pointing toward Zhou Mo’s phone.

The meaning was clear.

Want to become a Deep Diver?

Then trade sweets for it!

Then the brain made a bathing gesture—it seemed to say it could accept fewer sweets but insisted on adding two bags of glucose.

Weighing the pros and cons, Zhou Mo nodded heavily. “Deal!”

“But can we negotiate? I personally prefer chocolate flavor…”

Thud!

Silence echoed inside Zhou Mo’s empty skull.